Never Lose your Luggage Again with these Simple Tricks

There are few things worse than losing your luggage on a long trip. Being far away from home without another outfit to wear and knowing that expensive travel items may be in jeopardy is nerve wracking to say the least. We are not completely helpless; there are some things we can do to either prevent lost luggage or at least minimize the loss.

Pack Light

Just assume the bags will get lost or stolen at some point in the luggage handling and inspecting process. First of all, you should know which items are covered by the airline or your own insurance in case it goes missing, and avoid bringing those things which are not covered under these policies. Avoid bringing anything expensive that you absolutely do not need, like a laptop if your smart phone will suffice, or more than one Rolex watch on a short trip. You should be carrying as much of your belongings as possible!

Document Everything

Take pictures of items and the suitcases themselves. This will make identifying them easier if you are ever required to do so. Relying on memory when you are tired and stressed out is not a great idea, especially if the luggage is something you don’t use often enough to become familiar with it.

Tag your Bags More than Once

Rough handling can knock a tag off. Place more than one on the item so that it is guaranteed to make it to the destination with at least one tag intact.

And on the Subject of Tags…

Make sure you check the one the Airline has placed on it. They can make mistakes and those mistakes will be compounded if they are not caught earlier rather than later.

Don’t Delay in Filing a Lost Bag Claim

The earlier you file for an item that was lost the better. There are all kinds of deadlines and long processes that may come into play, so giving yourself the most time to deal with it is always the best way to handle it. You will be surprised at how many policies are covering you when you fly. If you bought your flight with a credit card, lost or stolen luggage may be covered up to a certain dollar amount. Make sure you file early and read the fine print to make sure you are not denied due to some technicality.

If the luggage is merely delayed, then you should not start to worry yet. Some airlines actually have a real time baggage trace capability on their websites. Just input your information and begin tracking away!

If the airline you used does not offer a real time tracking solution, your Smart Armor portable travel safe can be tracked on the Smart Armor Safe app anywhere in the world. Just place it inside your luggage – even better, attach it with the loop for extra security. You will have all the information you need at your fingertips.